ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays have placed injured outfielder Colby Rasmus on the restricted list after the player’s decision to “step away from baseball,” according to the club.

The team did not provide specifics Thursday, instead saying in a brief statement that the club fully supports the player deciding to leave. The Tampa Tribune reported that the Rays do not expect Rasmus back this season.

The statement concluded: “We are thankful for his contributions to our team, and we wish him and his family the best as they move forward. Respecting the privacy of Colby and his family, the Rays will have no further comment.”

Rasmus, who signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent last winter, had been on the 10-day disabled list since June 23 with left hip tendinitis.

He was limited by injuries to appearing in 37 games this season, but was batting .281 with nine homers and 23 RBIs in 121 at-bats.

Rasmus, who will be 31 next month, was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2005 and broke in with them in 2009. He was acquired by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011 and spent three more full seasons with them. He had the most productive season of his career in 2013 when he compiled 4.8 WAR (Baseball-Reference) in just 118 games by hitting .276 with 22 home runs and playing elite-level centre field. His production both offensively and defensively fell off in 2014 and the team did not pursue him when he became a free agent.

He signed with Houston, where he played multiple outfield positions for two seasons before joining the Rays this off-season. The start to his season was delayed because of a long recovery from off-season surgery on his hip and core muscles.